Nonslip tile



Patented June 22, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

LE ROY HIMES MINTON, F METUCHEN, NEW JERSEY.

NONSLIP TILE.

No Drawing.

This invention relates to non-slip surfaces and particularly to ceramicfio0rt1le having rough relatively hard granular ma terial' embedded inthe surface of the tile for the purpose of presenting a rough foot holdto pedestrians and preventing their slipping.

' The granular material used in such tile must be hard enough toWithstand the abrasion of passing feet without wearing down too rapidly.For this reason extremely hard materials have been used, such aspreviously fused alumina or silicon car-bid, well-known as abrasives andhaving a hardness of 9 or more on Mohs scale. These materials serve thepurpose, but in the form used, being artificial products and relativelyexpensive, serve perhaps too well. That is to say a hardness of 9 ormore on Mohs scale is unnecesary and softer materials can serve equallywell, provided they have the requisite toughness. A very hard butbrittle material cannot stand up so well as one which is softer buttougher, and hence better able to withstand the shocks and strains ofhard usage. Toughness is thus more important than hardness, provided ofcourse, that the hardness is not too low. Materials having a hardness ofless than 6 on Mohs scale are not best adapted for use as the non-slipelements of non-slip tile.

I have discovered that rutile serves excellently in the manufacture ofnon-slip tile and can well be substituted either in whole or in part forthe harder and more expensive material heretofore used.

In making non-slip tile containing rutile as the non-slip element, Ifirst reduce the- Application filed August 24, 1925. Serial No. 52,224.

rutile to granular form of a fineness varying from 60 mesh to 12 mesh.This I add to a vitrifiable body made up of from 50% to 60% feldspar,15% flint and the remainder ball clays, china clays, or kaolins,although the composition of the body may be varied and any goodvitrifiable floor tile body employed. The quantity of rutile used mayvary depending upon the degree of surface roughness required, but aspractical limits I would set 20% and 80%. The rutile is preferably addedto the body and thoroughly mixed with it just prior to the pressingoperation. The tile are fired in the usual manner.

Rutile occurs naturally in relatively large quantities and is thereforeinexpensive. It has a hardness on Mohs scale ranging from 6 to 6.5 andis sufficiently tough to resist the shocks to which floor tile aresubjected. I have found that it forms a strong bond with the body of thetile and altogether performs the function of a non slip element verysatisfactorily.

I claim:

1. A non-slip surface having granular rutile embedded therein as anon-slip element.

2. A non-slip tile comprising a body of ceramic material having granularrutile embedded therein.

3. A non-slip tile comprising a vitrified floor tile body containingfrom 90% to of granular rutile of a fineness varying from 60 to 12 mesh.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LE ROY HIMES MINTON.

